Hermetic pillar. Roman. Century I - II A.D.

Hermetic pillar. Roman. Century I - II A.D.
Marble.
Provenance: Private collection, Barcelona.
Conservation: Fragment in good state of conservation.
Measurements: 39 cm; 52 cm high with pedestal.

This marble sculptural fragment corresponds to a hermetic pillar from the Roman period, a typology derived from the Greek hermas, sculptural elements of symbolic and functional character that combined a prismatic structure with a partial representation of the human figure.

The torso of the figure is preserved in the work, arranged frontally and adapted to the cubic block characteristic of this type of support. The treatment of the mantle, with wide and schematic folds, brings dynamism to the volume and evidences the influence of Hellenistic models in Roman sculpture. The integration of the body in the geometric structure responds both to formal criteria and to its original function, usually linked to public or domestic spaces as a protective or marker element.

Overall, this is an interesting testimony of Roman sculpture of a functional nature, reflecting the adaptation of Greek traditions and their survival in the cultural sphere of the Empire.